She's So High
by Sharona1981
Summary: Sheamus considers Sharona to be out of his league-so why is she suddenly paying him attention? Can be read as a prequel to 'Whatever Else Happens' or as a standalone. Will be short.
1. Chapter 1

She's So High

_**Another short Sharona/Sheamus story. I know that in 'Whatever Else Happens', I said that Shar and Shay had never previously spoken to each other, so I guess you could call this an AU. The timeline is not canon, by the way. Title and lyrics taken from 'She's So High' by Tal Bachman. **_

'_She's blood, flesh and bone, _

_No tucks or silicone-_

_She's touch, smell, sight, taste and sound. _

_But somehow I can't believe that anything should happen. _

_I know where I belong, and nothing's gonna happen..._'

**SmackDown, 25 May, 2012**

There was a time, not very long ago, when Sheamus had actively disliked John Cena. After all, he had won his very first WWE Championship, under admittedly murky circumstances, from the West Newbury, Massachusetts native. And those derogatory remarks Cena had made about Sheamus' complexion had only riled the Irishman further at the time.

'_Human jar of mayonnaise_', indeed.

Things had changed since then, though. Back then, Sheamus had been a rookie, determined to make a name for himself. Now, as a two-time WWE Champion and current reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Sheamus found he could relax more-he had little else to prove.

And, if he was honest, he kind of liked Cena now. He certainly respected him.

So, when Cena was jumped by Tyler Reks, Curt Hawkins, Titus O' Neil and Darren Young during a match against David Otunga on this week's RAW, yes, he decided to go charging out there to help.

And if that eejit Executive Vice President of Arseholes, John Laurinaitis was standing on the ramp, in the way, well then, he deserved to be elbowed _out _of the way.

After all, this was the same man who had fined him half a million dollars for Brogue Kicking a referee.

Only now, four days later, Laurinaitis was demanding an apology.

Tempting as it was to tell Big Johnny to shove his demands up his arse, the man was in charge. He had the ability to fire Sheamus-and he had worked too hard to get here, to let that happen...

/

Sharona was furious. Truthfully, she'd always hated John Laurinaitis-just as she hated any douchebag in a suit who tried to tell her what to do-but his treatment of her friend John Cena was absolutely uncalled for.

John was, as Sharona liked to say, 'good people'; he was kind, humble and trustworthy, and worked extremely hard. But Laurinaitis seemed to have it in for him, putting him in ridiculous matches where the odds were hopelessly stacked against him, and generally tried to make his life miserable.

Of course, he treated her dearest friend, CM Punk, Phil Brooks, the same way, but Punk, the Master of the 'Pipebomb', was constantly riling the Executive VP of Talent Relations anyway. That was just how he was-like her, he had a real problem with being bossed around.

Especially by some ex-wrestler with an inferiority complex who had never been over as a performer.

Sharona guessed that Big Johnny had a chip on his shoulder the size of a mountain, because he had never known the success and popularity Phil and John had.

And now, he seemed to be picking on the World Heavyweight Champion, Sheamus.

It was true that, not all that long ago, Sheamus wasn't the nicest of people, to say the least. When he had debuted, he'd been heartless, cruel and utterly without mercy, not caring who he trampled all over, on his way to the top.

But gradually, after holding the WWE Championship twice, and the US Championship, after attaining success a lot of wrestlers could only dream of, something seemed to change within the Irishman. As he earned respect, the fans began to cheer for him as well-and he embraced them.

Basically, the guy grew up.

Sharona didn't know much about Sheamus, but when she saw him now, he always had a friendly smile and a greeting for her-a far cry from the guy he used to be.

But she felt that Laurinaitis' treatment of him was totally unfair. Fining the guy an astronomical half a million dollars for kicking a ref was just ludicrous.

And now, this childish demand for an apology.

Johnny had _serious_ issues...

/

'_She's so high, high above me-_

_She's so lovely. _

_She's so high, Like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite. _

_She's so high, high above me..._'

'You're not _really_ gonna apologize, are you?'

Sheamus had been sitting on a stack of crates in the corridor, his World Heavyweight Title on his lap, his mind on this so-called apology he was being ordered to offer Laurinaitis.

So, when the unexpected female voice burst through his thoughts, he started and looked up, to see Sharona staring down at him.

He knew who the lass was, of course-he'd watched her on TV before he ever got into wrestling, had always thought her incredibly beautiful, with her dark Latin looks, but also tough as nails.

He'd never exchanged more than a couple of words with her, maybe a 'Hello' or 'How's the goin'?', and she wasn't exactly the kind of girl who would typically give him so much as a second glance, so why was she here now?

After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he threw Sharona a smile and said, 'Why, ya don't think I should, lass?'

Sharona scoffed, as the amiable Irishman smiled at her. She had to admit, he had a cute smile.

_Oh, come on, girl_, she thought. _The guy's got a cute __**face**_. _Period_.

'You haven't done anything to warrant an apology.' She replied firmly. 'John Laryngitis just likes throwing his considerable weight around.'

Sheamus grinned. 'Well', he said. 'If I don't apologize to that gobshite, he could fire me.'

Sharona frowned. She had no earthly idea what 'gobshite' meant, but she had a feeling it wasn't complimentary.

'He won't fire you.' She retorted. 'He can't _afford_ to fire you. You're over with the fans, and you're the World Heavyweight Champion. Which is kind of the problem.'

Off Sheamus' curious look, she elaborated, 'He's jealous, Sheamus. You achieved more in two years than he did in his entire _career_. You're successful. You're popular. So is John. So is Punk. It eats him up inside, and so he's trying to compensate for his failures by ordering people around. You did nothing wrong. And even if you _did_...I can't think of many people who would argue about it.'

Sheamus absorbed Sharona's words, nodding. The lass obviously knew what she was talking about-then again, she'd been here a lot longer than him.

With a smile, he asked, 'Does that mean he's jealous of you too, lass?'

Sharona didn't answer for a moment; staring into that open, kind face, she marveled again at the difference in him. He had definitely matured in two years.

Shrugging, she replied, 'He's jealous of anyone who's successful. Doesn't matter what gender they are. That's why he's demanding this stupid apology.'

'He was in the way.' Sheamus told her. 'I just wanted to help John, is all.'

'Sweetie,' Sharona said with a grin. 'Laurinaitis has been in the _way_ ever since he got here.'

Sheamus threw his head back and bellowed with hearty laughter. 'That's very true, lass.' He agreed. 'But...I don't see how I have a choice.'

He had to suppress a shiver when Sharona laid a casual hand on his arm. It wasn't the first time a woman had touched him, but she was so beautiful-lasses who looked like her didn't normally give fellas like him the time of day. And he'd have to be blind not to be attracted to her.

Of _course_ he was.

_Jaysus, lad, calm down_, he scolded himself. _The girl's only being friendly. She touches your arm, and yer thinking she's coming on to ya, or something_!

'You do what you think's right, man.' Sharona told him. 'Whatever you decide to do, you got my support.'

Sheamus thanked her sincerely and watched her leave, unable to tear his gaze from her retreating back. Finally, as she retreated down the corridor, he forced himself to look away, scolding himself again.

He had an apology to prepare.

Or _did_ he?...

_**Coming up: Shay's 'apology'. And a growing closeness. This is going to be two or three chapters, max. Can be read as a prequel to WEH, or a standalone. Entirely up to you good folks. Please R&R. :) Ellen**_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews, folks! This isn't particularly going to go anywhere, but I am enjoying writing it. 'Shearona' forever! :) **

**I can't remember the exact wording of Shay's 'apology', so I'm going to improvise, ok? **

**I forgot the usual disclaimers when I started-I only own Sharona. Sadly, Sheamus does not belong to me. I dearly wish he did... **

**/**

'_What could a guy like me ever really offer? _

_She's perfect as she can be-why should I even bother?..._'

Sheamus marched out to the ring, as his entrance music hit, pounding his chest and bellowing at the top of his lungs, feeling the adrenaline coursing through him.

But he wasn't here to wrestle.

He was here to apologize. In his own special way.

High-fiving a couple of young fans at ringside who were wearing his t-shirt, he climbed in the ring, microphone in hand, patiently waiting for the cheering to die down.

His thoughts turned briefly to Sharona, and her words to him earlier. He knew she hated Johnny-in fact, he was sure that most _everybody_ hated Johnny-which was why she didn't want him to apologize.

He just couldn't figure out why, out of the blue, she'd started talking to him.

Still, that didn't matter right now.

According to an earlier announcement from Eve, Johnny was 'away on business', so he wasn't here tonight.

Thankfully.

'If I can be serious for a minute-I've been sent out here to apologize.' He began, smiling slightly as the fans started to boo. 'Which is funny, 'cause from my retrospect, when an accident happens, ya shouldn't have to apologize fer it. I was simply running down to the ring, and Mister Laurinaitis got in my way-it was an accident!'

He paused, frowning dramatically, then went on: 'O' course, there's people who think I did it on purpose. Well, if that's true, then it was _accidentally_ on purpose!'

Some of the fans started to laugh, and Sheamus himself suppressed a grin.

He was going to _enjoy_ this.

'So, here goes my apology.' He said, with an exaggerated sigh.

'I would like to apologize...'

He stopped, pulling a face, and eyed the crowd, a lot of them laughing aloud, as if sensing the direction this was going to take.

'I would like to apologize...'

Again, he stopped, huffing out a breath, shaking his head, as if the words were too hard for him.

'I would like to apologize...'

He grinned broadly, as he finally concluded, 'For John Laurinaitis being a massive _arse_!'

The crowd erupted into cheers, as Sheamus began to laugh. Well, there was no going back now.

'And while we're talkin' about Johnny's arse,' he continued. 'If ya look hard enough, you'll find his two assistants, Eve and David Otunga, _so_ far up there, they could probably tell ya what he had fer breakfast!'

The fans were cheering even louder now, most of them in throes of laughter, as he finished, 'And to everyone else who kisses Johnny's arse, I'd like to apologize fer _them_ as well!'

As he threw the mic down and left the ring, he basked in the crowd's cheers and laughter, still smiling.

When Johnny came back, let him do his worst-he might even get a Brogue Kick for his trouble.

As soon as he got backstage, he was greeted by John Cena, who slapped him on the shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.

'Way to go, man.' He enthused. 'Wish _I'd_ thought of saying that.'

But Sheamus wasn't really paying attention. Over John's shoulder, he could see Sharona in the near distance, talking on her cellphone, and he couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Had the lass even seen what he'd done, after all her talk of support?

_Ah, cop yerself on, fella_, he thought harshly. _Just because she encouraged ya, that doesn't mean anything. She's got her own stuff to worry about_.

John followed the direction of Sheamus' gaze, then turned to him, eyebrow cocked. He looked amused.

'Am I interrupting something?' He teased. 'Think you're about to start drooling there..._fella_.'

Sheamus could feel his face burning hot, and knew his complexion was now a very unappealing shade of crimson.

Could he make it _any_ more obvious?

'Feck off, fella.' He growled. 'I wasn't lookin' at Sharona, I was just-'

'Uh-huh.' John interrupted, grinning now 'Your face tells a _whole_ different story, man.'

He gave Sheamus another clap on the shoulder and left, the Irishman glowering after him.

_Well done, lad_, he berated himself. _Why not let the whole __**world**__ know ya fancy Sharona_?

'Sheamus!'

He whirled around at the sound of the familiar female voice, trying to will himself to stop blushing. Sadly, it didn't seem to be working.

Sharona was grinning as she approached him. If she noticed he was blushing, she was doing a commendable job of pretending she didn't.

'Now _that_,' she announced, in her distinct New York accent. 'Was an apology!'

Sheamus smiled shyly. She _had_ seen it.

He'd always felt shy around pretty lasses. Mainly because he'd never believed he stood a chance with any of them.

He could have his choice of girls now-but only because of what he _did_, what he'd achieved. They weren't interested in him as a _person_.

'I'm glad ya approve, lass.' He replied quietly, his smile widening when Sharona burst out laughing, chocolate-brown eyes twinkling, and he felt a tug in his gut.

Yeah-he _definitely_ fancied her.

But he was sure he wasn't the first fella around here to fancy Sharona-and he doubted he'd be the _last_, either.

'_Approve_?' She repeated incredulously. 'Dude, that was one of the _funniest_ things I have ever seen! It was all true, granted, but I digress. I just got off the phone with Punk-he hasn't stopped laughing since he saw it! Hell, neither have _I_!'

Gaining a little confidence now, Sheamus replied, 'Well, if I can make a pretty girl laugh, then I'm happy, lass.'

And now, Sharona could feel herself blush. She had heard more profound words from men in the past, but coming from this man, with that Irish drawl...it made her feel all gooey inside.

Funny, because Sharona Vincenzi didn't normally _do_ gooey.

Not by a _long_ shot.

But she didn't date wrestlers anymore. Not since Kane. That had ended so disastrously, it had put her off having a relationship with someone she worked with, ever again.

It was a shame, though. He was a hell of an attractive guy, Sheamus. Sexy accent, too.

'Charmer.' She quipped, then departed, leaving Sheamus to gaze at her retreating back once again, while wondering if he had any chance at all, of getting to know her better.

At _leas_t...

**COMING UP: Last chapter. Vince McMahon returns to WWE to give Laurinaitis a 'performance evaluation'-and Sheamus and Sharona both have choice words for the Executive VP Of Talent Relations. **

**I know that Sheamus faced Jack Swagger on that episode of SmackDown, but I wanted to concentrate on 'Shearona' 's story, rather than the action. Hope that's ok. Please R&R! Ellen**.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Ok, last chapter, folks-this will just be an immediate lead-in to 'Don't Believe A Word'-and **_**not**_** 'Whatever Else Happens', as I previously said. I'm a moron. Thanks, as always, to everyone who reviewed. :) TL is not canon, as I said. **

/

'_She comes to speak to me; _

_I freeze immediately, _

_'Cause what she says sounds so unreal..._'

**RAW, THE NEXT WEEK **

The backstage area was abuzz, everyone running to and fro like headless chickens. And with good reason.

After a lengthy absence, Vince McMahon, owner of WWE, had returned, to give John Laurinaitis what he called a 'performance evaluation'.

And rumour had it that Johnny was peeing his pants at the prospect.

Sharona was quite excited at the thought of Vince's return; she had heard that Big Johnny had seriously fallen out of favour with the WWE Chairman and the company's Board of Directors, because of his many disastrous business decisions since being left in charge.

She'd known and worked for Vince for almost ten years, and while she hadn't always agreed with his decisions, to say the least, she did have a lot of respect for him and she knew he wouldn't mince words with Laurinaitis.

And sure enough, he didn't-the Superstars and Divas gathered around the many monitors backstage later watching, some full of glee, others, who wanted to toe the company line, with set expressions, as Vince berated the Executive VP of Talent Relations and GM of Raw and SmackDown in the middle of the ring.

Sharona scoffed scornfully as Laurinaitis tripped over his own words, obviously flustered, as he attempted to justify his incompetence to an apparently nonplussed Chairman.

And then she gaped in disbelief as Johnny actually tried to say that he was respected in the back, that he was 'a mentor...a friend'.

What the _Hell_ kind of happy pills was this guy on?

She grinned helplessly as Sheamus' music suddenly hit, and she watched as the World Heavyweight Champion strolled to the ring, a big smile on his face.

Sharona couldn't help but notice the way his muscular thighs flexed as he bounded up the ring steps, and she felt herself blushing.

_Get your mind out of the gutter, Vincenzi_, she snapped at herself. _He may be cute, but now is definitely __**not**__ the time_...

/

Sheamus climbed into the ring, grinning nonchalantly at the two men already there. Truthfully, it was immensely satisfying to see Vince take Johnny down a peg or ten, but he just wanted to add his own opinion.

'Mister McMahon!' He exclaimed, clapping the Chairman, who actually looked happy to see him, on the arm. 'Great to see ya, fella! Ya look great! Doesn't he look great?'

As the crowd cheered, Vince nodded in acknowledgement, then turned to Laurinaitis and said, 'This is Sheamus, the World Heavyweight Champion.'

'I know.' Laurinaitis turned to Sheamus with a blatantly phony smile. 'Congratulations on that.'

Sheamus snorted. This eejit couldn't be genuine if he tried.

'That _really_ sounds sincere, fella' He said sarcastically, then added, 'I was listenin' to ye banter and forth, and, as World Heavyweight Champion, I felt it was my duty to come out here and say...Johnny's right. He _is_ a friend.'

Vince looked taken aback, and Laurinaitis looked smug, but that smug look quickly disappeared from his face as Sheamus continued, 'Johnny's the type of friend who'll fine ya half a million dollars just because he _can_. He's the type of friend who'll hold a grudge against ya for bumpin' into him on yer way down to the ring.'

Slinging an arm around the shoulder of an increasingly unhappy-looking Laurinaitis, he added, '_And_ he's the type of friend who-how do I put this?-has to be the _worst_ General Manager in WWE history!'

Quickly removing his hand from Johnny's shoulder-God only knew what he could catch from this arsehole-he turned to Vince and said, his voice growing more vehement with every word, 'On behalf of everyone in the back, everyone in the arena, and everyone watching at home, Vince, I _implore_ you...kick Johnny out on his _arse_!'

It looked like Johnny was about to round on him, when suddenly, Sharona's music hit and Sheamus spun to face the ramp, confused.

What was the lass doing, coming out here?...

/

Sharona couldn't help herself. She knew Johnny had a problem with her because she didn't look like the quintessential 'Diva'. Heck, it was the fans who had taken to calling her the 'Anti-Diva'-it was the fans whose opinions were relevant, not some chump in a cheap suit who had never known the adulation of the people.

So, when the opportunity came up to put Johnny in his place...no _way_ she wasn't taking that.

She threw a quick grin at a puzzled-looking Sheamus, then turned to Vince and Laurinaitis, the latter of whom now looked like he was about to throw up.

_Yeah, you have that effect on me too, Johnny_, she thought.

'Welcome back, Vince.' She said sincerely, shaking the Chairman's hand. 'It's good to see you.'

Apparently unable to resist, a smile quirking his lips, Vince said to Laurinaitis, 'This is Sharona, WWE Diva and six-time Women's...'

'Whoa, Vince, _whoa_!' Sharona grinned, holding up a hand. 'Not needing the validation, but thanks.'

Vince nodded, and gestured for her to continue, as Johnny fidgeted, obviously uncomfortable.

She turned back to Sheamus, and told him, 'I've heard it's bad luck to interrupt an Irishman when he's in full flow, so I apologize for that.'

Her head quickly whipped around to face the other two men, but she didn't miss the massive grin that appeared on Sheamus' face.

The man really _was_ all kinds of cute.

'I just felt that I should come out here,' she went on. 'And add my two cents. 'Cause I always do. And I gotta be honest, I think Johnny's doing a _stellar_ job of running RAW and SmackDown!'

Sharona couldn't see Sheamus' reaction, but she felt pretty sure that he was wearing the same shocked expression as Vince. Laurinaitis, for his part, simply looked wary.

As he _should_.

'I mean, granted, he's running them into the _ground_,' she added with a grin, as the crowd cheered in response. 'But hey, at least he's running them, right?'

'Sir,' Laurinaitis stepped forward after his long silence. 'With all due respect, this woman has no respect for authority.'

'Wrong, Johnny.' Sharona interjected, serious now. 'I got no respect for _you_. And neither does anybody _else_ around here.'

Seemingly undeterred, Laurinaitis ploughed on: 'Sir, Sharona has proven in the past to be uncouth, disrespectful, overly outspoken...and well, if I may say, she has had a personal vendetta against me since...'

And that was it. _Now_ she was pissed.

'A personal _vendetta_?' She repeated angrily, interrupting him. 'Dude, you are the freaking undisputed _champion _of personal vendettas! Let's recap, shall we? Ever since you got the keys to this castle, you have tried your very best to keep me down, to keep me away from the Women's Championship, because I don't fit your frankly outdated image of what a so-called 'Diva' should look like. Oh, and also because I've experienced a little thing called _success_. Jealousy is a terrible thing, Johnny.'

'Then there's John Cena, a good friend of mine, who, I guess, doesn't match your 'vision' of a WWE Superstar. Why's that, Johnny? Because he won't wear a suit? Because he won't toe the line? Or maybe because, oh, wait, he's been _successful_? Anyone sensing a pattern here?'

'And don't get me started on your treatment of CM Punk. I mean, let's face it, he is the _exact_ polar opposite of everything _you_ want in a WWE Champion. Which is a large part of why he's my best friend. And why do you hate Punk so much, Johnny? Because he has tattoos? Because he's Straight-Edge? Because he's not afraid to speak his mind? Or is it because, yep, you guessed it, ladies and germs...he's _successful_?'

Sheamus watched Sharona read Laurinaitis the Riot Act, eyes wide and, he was sure, mouth just a little agape. Honestly, he was more than a little in awe of this beautiful, fiery, fearless woman. Especially since everything she was saying made perfect sense.

But it seemed that they had all but forgotten he was there, and he took this as his cue to leave.

However, just as he bent to slip through the ropes, Sharona turned and pointed straight at him, and he stopped, eyeing her curiously.

'And then, there's Sheamus.' Sharona was on a roll now. 'What's wrong with him, Johnny? Too pale? Too _Irish_? I mean, you fined the guy half a million dollars from Brogue Kicking a ref in the face. Don't get me wrong, I like Chad Patton as much as the next person, but there's no _way_ his face is worth that kind of money!'

There was general laughter at this, including from Sheamus, and even Vince looked amused, while Laurinaitis' face got redder and redder with anger.

'Let's face facts, you overpaid, underachieving, clueless moron.' She concluded. 'You fining Sheamus had _nothing_ to do with what he _did_-and _everything_ to do with what he _is_! He's the World Heavyweight Champion, he's popular, he's-and here's the key word again, folks-_successful_. None of which you have ever been. And you can't _stand_ it!'

'Sir,' Johnny addressed Vince, trembling with obvious humiliation and rage. 'Sharona obviously doesn't realize what I have done for this company. She believes I'm just here to be made fun of!'

'I gotta be honest with you, bub.' _God_, was she enjoying this. 'I can't think of a single other valid reason as to why you _are_ here!'

'I have vision!' Finally, Laurinaitis turned his attention to her, face now the colour of ripe beetroot. 'I have done more for this company than you can imagine! I have a master plan!'

'A master plan?' Sharona injected as much sarcasm into her voice as was humanly possible. 'From where I'm standing, your 'master plan' and the stuff that comes out of your rear end when you go to the bathroom bear an uncanny resemblance to each other!'

Vince snorted, but it was the roar of laughter behind her that got Sharona's attention, and she turned to see Sheamus doubled over, hands planted on his thighs, massive shoulders shaking as he howled with mirth.

And something inside her...softened, at the sight of this big tough Irishman laughing at something _she_ had said.

'That isn't funny, Sharona!' Laurinaitis snapped, and, jerking her thumb at Sheamus, she retorted, grinning, 'There's a giant redhead behind me right now who thinks differently.'

If anything, this made Sheamus laugh even harder, and Laurinaitis, growing ever more flustered, exclaimed, 'I am not going to stand here and take this!'

'Well, I could get you a chair and you could take it sitting _down_!' She shot back. Now, even Vince was laughing, and another howl behind her back told her that Sheamus was still in throes of laughter.

As much as she was enjoying this, it was time to wrap things up.

Turning to a red-faced and chuckling Sheamus one last time, Sharona said, 'What was it you said, big guy? 'Kick Johnny out on his _arse_'?' She turned her attention to Vince and finished, 'Yeah-I'm with Sheamus on that one!'

As she dropped the mic and left the ring, Sharona gave Sheamus a friendly smile and pat on the shoulder, but he could only stare after her, rendered speechless. And it wasn't just because his sides were sore from laughing.

He had never in his entire life known a girl who had made him laugh that much.

But it wasn't just that. She had so much passion, so much heart and courage and conviction.

She was quite a lass.

And now, he found, he liked her all the more.

He just wondered if there was any way she could like him back...

**And that's it, folks. As I said, for the basic continuation of this story, refer to 'Don't Believe A Word'. And don't forget to R&R! Thanks a million! Ellen.**


End file.
